Marg Helgenberger: Everyone Is Affected By Cancer

Thursday

Sep 26, 2013 at 11:29 AM

For the second year in a row, former CSI star Marg Helgenberger has teamed with Stand Up to Cancer to raise funds and awareness in the fight against breast cancer.Helgenberger, who can next be seen on CBS' midseason drama Intelligence ...

TV Guide

For the second year in a row, former CSI star Marg Helgenberger has teamed with Stand Up to Cancer to raise funds and awareness in the fight against breast cancer.Helgenberger, who can next be seen on CBS' midseason drama Intelligence with Josh Holloway, has once again teamed with SU2C and The Safeway Foundation for a public service campaign called "Together We're Creating a Brighter Tomorrow." The centerpiece of the campaign, which kicks off Oct. 1, offers shoppers at Safeway stores the opportunity to buy a $2.99 reusable shopping bag. Two dollars from every sale goes toward breast cancer research. Marg Helgenberger returning to CSI for 300th episodeLending her name to the cause was a no-brainer for Helgenberger, who has a personal connection breast cancer. "My mother's a breast cancer survivor," she tells TVGuide.com. "I was really honored, because it's something that obviously means a lot to me."I was 20 or 21, and the thought of losing my mother was ... beyond my comprehension," she continues. "Thankfully, she survived and has thrived, and she has not had any recurrences. I have been eternally grateful for her survival, so if I can add my name to something that will spread the word and help get people to have screenings - why not, you know?"The limited-edition, breast cancer awareness-themed shopping bags will be available for purchase at 1,600 U.S. and Canada Safeway locations, including Vons, Pavilions, Tom Thumb, Randalls, Dominick's, and Carrs stores. Bags can also be purchased online at safewayfoundation.org, and shoppers can make additional donations at any check-out stand in participating stores. To date, the Safeway Foundation has raised $119 million for breast cancer causes.Marg Helgenberger joins CBS' IntelligenceHelgenberger says her personal connection to the cause is not unique to her. "Every single person on the planet is affected by cancer in some way," she says. "Everyone can relate to it. Some people haven't been so lucky, in that their loved ones didn't survive. The longer we're around and the more research is available and more treatments and technologies are made available, then the survivorship will just grow and grow."For more information on this and other cancer awareness campaigns, visit www.SafewayFoundation.org or www.standup2cancer.org.

View original Marg Helgenberger: Everyone Is Affected By Cancer at TVGuide.com